Do you imagine a festival that blends music, gastronomy, performance, and talks seamlessly? And could you imagine it in some island surrounded by mystery and magic? Stop imagining and start realising that it already exists. Its name is Tremor, and it’s taking place on the island of São Miguel, in the Azores, from March 24th to 28th. Over the week, different artists will take over different locations of the Atlantic island through concerts, DJ sets, workshops, walks in nature, panel discussions, and culinary experiences.
As they explain, “Tremor proposes an encounter between art, territory, and community through a programme that includes concerts in venues and natural settings, performative walks, immersive experiences, artistic residencies, and conversations.” As you can see, it’s a very complete programme that also feels relevant and fresh in today’s world, so oversaturated with festivals whose identities and lineups are too often interchangeable.
Kicking off on Tuesday, we find one of Spain’s most singular new artists, Yerai Cortés, whose contemporary approach to flamenco is making waves in his home country but also in places like Mexico and now, Portugal. Another Spanish artist with a holistic approach to ‘cante jondo’ is Curro Rodríguez, who’ll be participating in the Tremor Todo-o-Terreno performative walks, a series of experiences where the audience gets to discover São Miguel’s misty, mysterious nature while hiking and immersing themselves in music.
Naturally though, there is a strong roster of Portuguese artists in the lineup. Starting with Vera Morais, the other artist hiking alongside festival-goers in the Tremor Todo-o-Terreno series. Or new talents and voices like NTK, an Azorean rapper, songwriter, and producer who’s self-taught but is making waves; Vaiapraia, focusing on lo-fi bedroom pop productions; Buried by Lava, a metal quartet born in São Miguel who also created the LavaFest; Maria Carolina, another local act, who discovered music at thirty-five, proving that it’s never too late to chase your dreams; Tomás Sampaio and Marta Tavares, a lovely duo blending folk, indie and bossa nova; the emotional music of Neuza Furtado; or La Família Gitana, bringing their fusion of Romani tradition with rumba, flamenco, funk, funaná, and Afro house.
But Tremor is a festival bringing international attention to the Azores, which is why they also include acts from around the world. From Uganda, we’ll have Arsenal Mikebe, a percussion ensemble pushing acoustic rhythm into radical new territory. From Egypt, composer, writer, and singer Abdullah Miniawy will bring his blend of jazz, Sufi echoes, baroque-operatic inspirations, and soundscapes. From the Netherlands, post-punk and no-wave trio Housekeepers will pump up the energy. From Wales, genre-defying Cate Le Bon will show how it’s possible to build a career based on innovation and taking unexpected turns. From Chicago, US, Angry Blackmen will bring their experimental hip-hop on stage. And finally, from Chile, DJ and producer Matías Aguayo will show his playfulness and versatility behind the decks, closing off the festival.
Besides music, Tremor also pays attention to other creative forms, like performance. At Arquipélago - Centro de Artes Contemporâneas, the Azorean Modular Orchestra (OMA) will propose a long durational performance with Water Damage, a collective from Austin known for their drone-based music. In photography, local artist Mariana Lopes will present Chromophilia: longing for a pink house, exploring myths and mysteries surrounding the colourful houses of São Miguel. And in terms of gastronomy, festival-goers will be able to book a culinary experience in Rabo de Peixe with families from there, who’ll introduce them to local dishes and delicacies.
Yes, the festival is an all-encompassing event that, for almost a week, helps the audience forget about the rest of the world and fully immerse themselves in Azorean culture, music, art, gastronomy, and landscape. Standing out from the rest of cultural proposals in continental Europe, Tremor has a lot to offer — and we’ll be experiencing it all soon.
